Polycations XX: New Monodentate Cationic Ligands and Their Coordination with Ruthenium for the Construction of Complexes Expressing Enhanced Interaction with DNA

Prior investigations from this laboratory concerned with the preparation of new types of organic cations for a variety of biological and nonbiological applications have been extended to the preparation of cation-bearing ligands with nitrogen coordinating sites for use in complexation reactions with ruthenium cores. The syntheses of new cationic ligands as well as ruthenium complexes bearing them are reported here. The introduction of these new types of ligands is intended to provide to the complexes an enhanced ability to interact with DNA, and thereby to have the potential to be enhanced antitumor agents. Preliminary observations of their interactions with DNA are presented.